PODCAST · science
Hazard NJ
by NJ Spotlight News
New Jersey is home to the largest number of Superfund sites in the country – and while federal cleanup is underway – the bigger threat to them now is climate change. Flooding, fires, and rising sea levels could make life even harder for those who live nearby. Hazard NJ digs through the muck of each contaminated site to give a clearer picture of what the threat is and what it will take to clean it up before it’s too late. Hosted by journalist Jordan Gass-Poore’, produced by NJ Spotlight News.
Episodes
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Hazard NJ Season 2, Episode 4: Nothing is “Forever”
Toxic “forever chemicals” became a ubiquitous part of consumer products because largely they repel water, they’re stain resistant and they’re incredibly durable. But those same properties also mean that the chemicals can persist in the environment seemingly, well, forever. That’s left regulators...
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Hazard NJ Season 2, Episode 3: Tainted Blood
Forever chemicals have been so widely used, for so many purposes, for so many decades, that they are now in all of our blood. But what does that mean for our health? A team of Rutgers University researchers are trying to help answer that question by studying the blood of residents in Paulsboro…
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Hazard NJ Season 2, Episode 2: Soaked in Foam
It was 1967 when explosions and fire erupted on an aircraft carrier off the coast of Vietnam — becoming one of the deadliest blazes in Navy history and ushering in a new kind of firefighting tool. Chemical foams made with PFAS became a critical part of dealing with intense fires for decades…
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All Gassed Up, Part 1: The Carbon Coast
Presenting "All Gassed Up," a limited series about liquified natural gas from the Sea Change podcast. In this episode, hosts Carlyle Calhoun and Halle Parker investigate the liquified natural gas boom on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast. And what’s happening in Louisiana could eventually happen in New...
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Hazard NJ Season 2, Episode 1: First a Miracle, Then a Curse
It was 1938 at a DuPont laboratory in far South Jersey when scientists stumbled upon the chemical that would become known as Teflon. The accidental discovery became a scientific miracle, laying the groundwork for an entirely new class of incredibly durable chemicals that would be used for all…
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Hazard NJ Season 2: Forever Chemicals
They are called PFAS or “forever chemicals.” They originated here in New Jersey decades ago with a promise of a future made easier by science. They’ve spread into countless products, and polluted countless places throughout the world. Now, they are even in our blood. Hazard NJ returns for a…
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BONUS EPISODE: New taxes, new progress
It's been two years since the federal taxes that bring money to the Superfund program were reinstated, and the results are already being seen at pollution clean-ups around the nation. A recent report published by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Environment America found that that billions of...
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Shoring up flood protection for the Meadowlands
New Jersey's Meadowlands were swamped in 2012 when Superstorm Sandy washed ashore, causing widespread flooding in towns like Little Ferry along the Hackensack River. The next generation of flood protections for the area have been planned in the years since: Now, more than $46 million is being...
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BONUS EPISODE: A Plan for Hudson River Muck
In Edgewater, on the banks of the Hudson River and in the shadow of the glitzy Manhattan skyline, the Quanta Resources Superfund site is finally a big step closer to being cleaned up. Last month, the EPA unveiled a new plan to deal with pollution that has seeped into the Hudson River from the...
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REWIND: Happy Earth Day from Hazard NJ
Happy Earth Day from Hazard NJ and NJ Spotlight News! Thank you all for taking the time to listen to our podcast, and learn about the ways in which climate change is impacting some of New Jersey’s most toxic places. We’re happy to say that we are already working on our next season, which will…
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BONUS EPISODE: Small Steps, Big Money for the Passaic
Small steps forward this week on the clean-up of the lower Passaic River, where past dumping of Agent Orange and other chemicals created a toxic mess that is now one of the nation’s largest Superfund sites. But that progress comes as one of the main companies on the hook for the work is pushing...
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Episode 8: The Resurrection of Price’s Pit
The decades-long drip, drip, drip of toxic chemicals from the Price Landfill in South Jersey reached crisis levels in the early '80s when the hazardous plume threatened to taint the water supply for the Atlantic City area. The site earned an emergency response and the reputation as the most...
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BONUS Episode: Polluters Pay Up on the Passaic
Efforts to clean up the lower stretch of the Passaic River are getting a $150 million boost, thanks to a new settlement between the federal government and 85 likely polluters. This stretch of the river, running through Newark and nearby towns, is coated with a lining of toxic mud, tainted by...
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Damages: Wild Rice Goes to Court
We’re bringing you a special episode from the podcast “Damages”, which examines court cases that matter in the fight against climate change. In this episode, “Damages” host Amy Westervelt takes listeners to Minnesota, where the rights of threatened wild rice (or manoomin in the Ojibwe language)…
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Episode 7: A Headache on the Hudson
In Edgewater, a bustling urban town across the Hudson River from Manhattan, a polluted lot of a former factory sits right on the water. Today it's a Superfund site being cleaned up, set to one day become a piece of prime real estate for redevelopment. But that cleanup has created problems of its...
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Drilled: Industry Fights Back
We’re bringing you a special episode from the podcast “Drilled”, which scrutinizes the powers that have long profited from unfettered fossil fuel use. In this episode, “Drilled” host Amy Westervelt takes a look at how the oil and gas industry has pushed to portray environmentalists as idealists...
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Episode 6: Toxic Sites in a Tinderbox
The Pinelands, a million-acre swath of pine forest dominating South Jersey, is one of America’s most unique environments. The Pinelands have always been a place prone to catch fire and today, climate change is making the area’s wildfire season more unpredictable. The fear is not only fire, but…
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The Sweaty Penguin: Breaking down the Inflation Reduction Act
We’re bringing you a special episode from our friends at “The Sweaty Penguin” podcast, which dives deep (with a bit of humor!) on all things climate change. In this episode, “The Sweaty Penguin” crew takes a look at the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, and what it does and does not do for the...
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Episode 5: Orange Fog and Creeping Saltwater
The National Lead company spent years in the 1970s recycling car batteries at a factory in rural South Jersey, haphazardly draining battery acid onto the ground. The pollution left dangerous heavy metals in the site's soil and groundwater --- a mess that is now on the verge of being cleaned up.…
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BONUS Episode: Remembering Jim Florio
Former New Jersey Gov. Jim Florio, who wrote the Superfund law back in 1980, died this week at age 85. In this bonus episode, we reflect on Florio’s efforts to clean up New Jersey and America’s toxic messes, and we revisit our interview with him earlier this year.
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REWIND: Highlighting the Best of Hazard NJ (So Far)
Hazard NJ is returning with four new episodes this fall, to take fresh new looks about the relationship between the Garden State's most toxic Superfund sites and climate change. Get ready for the new shows with a look back at some highlights from our first four episodes, and keep an eye on your...
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BONUS Episode: The Hackensack’s Comeback Moves Ahead
It’s official: The Hackensack River is New Jersey’s 115th Superfund site. EPA officials gathered with state and local leaders this week to announce the big news, which puts the polluted lower reaches of the river in line for a major cleanup that is expected to cost billions of dollars.
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BONUS Episode: Funding Returns for the Superfund
The Superfund program was designed to be paid for by a tax on chemical and oil companies, but that tax expired years ago, and the program has been strapped for cash since. But that has changed in recent months. Last fall, the chemical tax was brought back as part of the massive federal...
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Episode 4: A Comeback on the Hackensack
The mud lining the Hackensack River is a mysterious mixture known to contain mercury, cadmium, lead, PCBs and plenty more nasty substances. Now the river is on its way to becoming New Jersey’s 115th Superfund site — and that’s not a bad thing. Superstorm Sandy slammed up the Hackensack and...
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Episode 3: Heart of Ringwood
In July 2005, Roger De Groat stepped outside his home in the secluded, forested community of Upper Ringwood to find a hole the size of a swimming pool where his backyard used to be. Roger’s home, like the rest in the neighborhood, sits atop an extensive system of abandoned iron mines, and…
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Episode 2: America’s Biggest Crime Scene
The chemical company Diamond Alkali, one of the nation's main producers of Agent Orange, spent years dumping chemical waste into the Passaic River and polluting Newark's Ironbound neighborhood. In the early 80's, state and federal authorities pledged to clean the mess up but today, nearly 40…
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Episode 1: On Thin Ice
Growing up in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Peggy Fussell has fond memories of ice skating on a local pond—that is, until she discovered that the pond was a toxic waste site. Decades after chemical producer American Cyanamid ceased its Bridgewater operations, and was declared a Superfund Site, its…
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Trailer
New Jersey is home to the largest number of Superfund sites in the country – and while federal cleanup is underway – the bigger threat to them now is climate change. Flooding, fires, and rising sea levels could make life even harder for those who live nearby. Hazard NJ digs through the muck of…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
New Jersey is home to the largest number of Superfund sites in the country – and while federal cleanup is underway – the bigger threat to them now is climate change. Flooding, fires, and rising sea levels could make life even harder for those who live nearby. Hazard NJ digs through the muck of each contaminated site to give a clearer picture of what the threat is and what it will take to clean it up before it’s too late. Hosted by journalist Jordan Gass-Poore’, produced by NJ Spotlight News.
HOSTED BY
NJ Spotlight News
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Hazard NJ have?
Hazard NJ currently has 28 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Hazard NJ about?
New Jersey is home to the largest number of Superfund sites in the country – and while federal cleanup is underway – the bigger threat to them now is climate change. Flooding, fires, and rising sea levels could make life even harder for those who live nearby. Hazard NJ digs through the muck of each...
How often does Hazard NJ release new episodes?
Hazard NJ has 28 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Hazard NJ?
You can listen to Hazard NJ on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Hazard NJ?
Hazard NJ is created and hosted by NJ Spotlight News.
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